diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-status.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-status.yml
index 7f01216..966e9e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify-status.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-status.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: verify-status
 # Keep TechAPI's data/_verify/status.json (the verification-state aggregate: how
 # many records are verified + Tier 0 bands per category) current. Runs in
 # TechEngine against a TechAPI checkout and commits the refreshed file back to
-# TechAPI main as TechEngineBot. Fires when TechAPI main changes (relayed by
+# TechAPI develop as TechEngineBot. Fires when TechAPI main changes (relayed by
 # TechAPI's notify-engine -> techapi-updated) and daily as a backstop. The
 # "commit only if changed" guard means the status commit can't loop.
 on:
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           repository: GetTechAPI/TechAPI
           path: TechAPI
+          # TechAPI follows git-flow. This already resolved to develop as the
+          # default branch — pin it so it cannot drift from the push target.
+          ref: develop
           token: ${{ secrets.TECHENGINEBOT_TOKEN || secrets.TECHAPI_TOKEN || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
@@ -57,4 +60,7 @@ jobs:
           git config user.name "TechEngineBot"
           git config user.email "289859915+TechEngineBot@users.noreply.github.com"
           git commit -m "chore(verify): refresh verification status aggregate"
-          git push origin HEAD:main
+          # Rebase first: several bots write to develop, and a status refresh is
+          # never worth failing the run over a race.
+          git pull --rebase origin develop
+          git push origin HEAD:develop